Only Exception
by danijazmyn23
Summary: After Hermione's parents divorced when she was four, she vowed to never fall in love. Can Remus Lupin change that? EWE? Disregards much of DH. HG/RL Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Wow. I really am a slacker. No updates on **_**To Be Lost Without Truth**_** for…a really long time. I swear I'm working on Chapter 4, but it could still take a while. In the meantime, I hope some of you like Hermione/Remus. I have most of this story written, so it shouldn't take me as long as my others. Enjoy! ~Dani**

**Disclaimer: All recognizable aspects belong either to J.K. Rowling or another ffn author from whom I borrowed some ideas about werewolves.**

**Only Exception: A Remus/Hermione Story**

**Chapter 1**

_"One of my first memories is of my parents, shortly after they divorced—they were Muggles, as I'm sure you know. My father took me out to the front steps of the courthouse and started talking to me softly, saying things I didn't really understand. I found out later that he was saying good-bye to me. My mother got full custody of me, you see. I never saw him again after that day. I'm told that he died in a car accident about a year before I started at Hogwarts._

_ "That day was very windy, even for England, and about to rain. He stood up and started shouting words that Mother told me never to repeat. He was crying; he had a broken heart and I suppose he was trying to fix it—reassemble it. But he really broke it himself in the first place._

_ "My father was my mother's second husband. I don't know for sure what happened to the first one, but I do have a half-brother, Darryl Ngyuen, I think. He lives in Singapore. He's a Muggle as far as I know. But, anyhow, Mother swore that she'd never let herself forget what happened, but evidently she did. She remarried about a year later to my stepfather, David Granger. He's a good man, but I can't believe anything my mother says anymore. My real last name is Leon._

_ "After what happened with my parents, I promised myself that I'd never let romantic love get to me. As far as I was concerned, that variety of love didn't even exist."_

**Five months previous**

Life was good, calm, and normal for me up until that day. The war had been over for seven years and I had settled into my work—potions research—at St. Mungo's. While I did work on small cures for this or that, my main purpose was to work on a cure for lycanthropy. After six years of research, I had come across a few important theories:

The wolf half of a werewolf is like a completely separate entity.

In certain situations, the wolf half can come out when it is not the full moon.

This is characterized by amber eyes and a deeper, growling voice in the werewolf.

After a specific amount of time—about two hours straight—around the werewolf's mate, the wolf comes out.

This only works once the mate and werewolf alike are over the age of seventeen.

Mates cannot be willfully chosen or replaced.

Mates can tame the wolf half.

This is the only cure (as complete as it gets) for lycanthropy.

It was by no means an easy cure, but I finally had a way to stop lycanthropy. The hard part would lie in finding the true mate for all the existing werewolves. I figured the best way to test this would be to help the only werewolf I knew personally—Remus Lupin.

I contacted him, vaguely stating that I believed I was getting close to a cure and I wanted to discuss some details with him. He agreed almost immediately to meet me in a private dining room at the Leaky Cauldron.

I was quite excited about meeting him again. After Harry, Ron, and I parted ways, Remus became my best friend. I helped him get a job at the Ministry as a liaison to the other werewolves. It had been nearly a year since I'd last seen him and before that we'd only ever for about an hour.

I stepped nervously into the Leaky that day. For some reason, I'd dressed up for the meeting in a simple ruffled black skirt and casual white halter-neck blouse. Tom the Bartender wasn't there, but Hannah Longbottom took me back to a reserved dining room. Remus met me at the door and, uncharacteristically, pulled me into a tight hug.

"You look well, Hermione," he said, holding me at arms' length.

I took a quick look at him and grinned. He looked a lot worse that he did when I last saw him. When we met regularly or even semi-regularly, he was actually gradually starting to look healthier. "I'm sorry to say I can't return the sentiment, Remus."

He chuckled a bit, but it felt false. He ushered me into the room and closed the door. We sat down and the pleasantries started. "How have you been, Hermione? It's been, what, a year since we last met? That's a long time, you know."

"I've been doing pretty well. I think I've almost found a sort of cure for lycanthropy. It won't eliminate it, but it will—"

"—control it," Remus finished for me.

I nodded. "Exactly. But before I finalize my conclusion, I'd like to go over some information with you. All of my research indicated that these were correct, but I'd like to double-check these with a real werewolf."

"Alright. Do you want to go over them one at a time or…" He gestured at my list. "...just show me that?"

"Well, one at a time would really be best."

"As you please, Hermione. What's your first 'fact'?"

I glanced down at my list and read off the first item. "The wolf half of a werewolf is like a completely separate entity." The room was immediately filled with such complete silence that I could hear myself breathing. I looked up nervously. Remus was staring at me with a shocked expression on his face.

When he spoke, it was unexpected. "Where on earth did you hear that?"

I frowned. Did that mean I was wrong? That my entire conclusion was wrong? "I-I found it in an ancient text on the evolution of werewolves. Is it not true?" _Please, let it be true._

Remus sighed. "No, no. It's quite true. Absolutely true. Moony's always in my head. He's a huge bother and a pest. He keeps trying to tell me that you're…oh, never mind that. But, yes, the wolf is like another person in my head."

I was curious about what Moony had to say about me, but I got the feeling that Remus really didn't want to talk about it. So I moved on to the next item on my list. "In certain situations, the wolf half, in your case Moony, can come out when it is not the full moon."

I could tell that Remus was once again dumbstruck. He recovered much faster this time. "I don't know where you keep finding these things, but yes, that's true too. Moony comes out when I feel anger. He also comes out when I feel threatened, particularly when I don't have my wand. There are some other situations I've heard about, but I've never experienced them. May we move on now?"

"Of course. After this one, though, I think we should take a break to actually eat lunch. It's only going to get more awkward as we go on, so that will be the most opportune time," I explained.

Remus nodded. "I trust you completely, Hermione. You can ask me anything, alright?" As he finished saying that, I could've sworn that I saw a glint of amber in his eyes, but I think it was my imagination.

"That's good to know, Remus. Thank you." I cleared my throat and inconspicuously check the clock. We'd been in each other's company for more than 30 straight minutes. About 43, I think, was the actual amount. "Okay. So, my next detail is that the wolf's control is characterized by amber eyes and a deeper, growling voice. True or not?"

For the third time that afternoon, Remus was clearly shocked. This was beginning to get repetitive. He shook it off and responded incredulously, "Hermione, you are simply out of this world. I don't know how you find these things, but once again you're spot on. When Moony takes over, my eyes do turn amber colored and my voice does take on a deeper tone. I'm semi-conscious when he takes over, you know. I can see and feel exactly what he's doing, but I can't affect any of it. It's a strange feeling, knowing someone else has control of your body." His tone was getting darker, but then it abruptly changed. "Well, I suppose we'd better eat now, yes? I'm feeling quite hungry." He grinned.

I silently summoned Hannah without leaving the room and we ordered our lunch. Remus forced me to let him pay. Our lunch break lasted for more than an hour and the conversation was easy, laid back, and very familiar. It almost felt…domestic, intimate.

We'd been in the same room for exactly one hour and 58 minutes when I posed my next test fact. "Okay, time for another one. After a specific amount of time—about two hours straight—around the werewolf's mate, the wolf comes out."

Remus' eyes widened exponentially. "Yeah, that's true, but, wow, would you look at the time—I need to go." He stood and almost began to run when he turned abruptly, pulled me up to him, and kissed me directly on the lips!

It wasn't a life-changing kiss in the usual way—you know, fireworks, the world stops turning, etc.—but it was life-changing for me because it was my first kiss; I'd vowed to have one because kissing leads to love and love leads to pain. Yet there I was sloppily kissing…wait. I pushed him back, grabbed his chin, and tilted his head so I could see his eyes. Amber. This wasn't Remus—this was Moony. And that meant I was his mate. I ran.

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed it. There are about four more chapters. The story is based off of the Paramore song "Only Exception". Later. ~Dani**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay, I'm actually not really sure where this is going to go. I had most of the chapters pre-written, but the reviews I've gotten sort of suggest that I take it a different way. I think I'll write it first the way I had planned, with some small modifications. Then I'll take reviews into consideration and write an alternate version if I think it's necessary. Sorry about the super-slow updates. ~Dani**

**Disclaimer: I own none of this. The characters belong to the wonderful JKR, and I've probably inadvertently stolen ideas for this story from other fanfiction writers. Oh, and the whole thing is based on the song "Only Exception" by Paramore.**

**Only Exception: A Remus/Hermione Story**

**Chapter Two**

"_I've always lived like this, you know. Keeping a comfortable distance between me and anyone who entered my life. What happened between my parents was far too much for me, so I stayed away from boys and men particularly. Oh, yes, I never doubted, like some do, that I was as straight as a good ruler edge, so girls were never an issue, but they stayed away anyhow. Harry and Ron were a bit of a different situation because, from the moment I met them, they felt like brothers to me. I don't know for sure, but maybe I know somewhere, deep down in my soul, that love never lasts._

" _And I've always thought that, as an entire species, we have to find other ways to go on alone or at least keep a straight face when things go awry, when love fades away or falls apart. It's just a philosophy I always adhered to, since that day. But I think it could change."_

Five months ago

As I ran out on him, I could hear Remus (Moony?) calling out. It sounded like he was pleading for me to come back. Then I heard a loud barrage of cursing. It reminded me so much of the last time I saw my father that I almost turned around to go back and apologize. But it was too late. I couldn't allow any exceptions to my philosophy on romantic love.

When I finally reached my flat, the enormity of the situation still hadn't hit me, and it wouldn't for four more months. I had my place detached from the Floo Network in case he tried to reach me that way. I also double-checked that my Anti-Apparation wards were up. Then I owled Harry and Ron to meet me at the Three Broomsticks the next day for lunch. I felt like I needed to talk to someone about the situation and who better than my two best friends, parted ways though we had. After the meeting with Remus, I was exhausted, so I headed to sleep as soon as I had gotten their affirmative replies.

When I met them the next day, however, I found that I couldn't bring myself to discuss the situation with Remus. Instead we just talked about the "good old days" and agreed not to split up for too long ever again. It was nice, but it didn't really help me.

Then the owls started coming. Like an idiot, I didn't really consider what effect these letters from Remus and Moony would have on me. It was very stupid of me, really. I've always been greatly affected by the power of words.

Sometimes just Remus would write; sometimes just Moony would write; and sometimes the both of them would write. I could tell the difference between the two easily because Remus was always and apologetic and had handwriting that was fairly neat while Moony would just talk about being my mate and write in, ah, painfully clear phrasing about the things he wanted to do with me. Moony's handwriting was utterly terrible, worse than Ron's had ever been.

For three months I accepted, read, and filed away their (his?) letters, ignoring the feelings they elicited from me. Then I received the letter that changed everything. It was one of their shared ones. Moony wrote first, which was what caught my attention as it was odd; Remus always wrote first on the dual letters.

_Mate, _it read, _I am beginning to lose the human boy. He is getting weaker and very ill. It is much easier for me to come out now. But this is not how it is supposed to work. In one month's time, he will no longer exist and, in another month's time, I will die with his body._

This part, obviously from Moony, was in itself worrying, but it was really what Remus said that struck me as being truly worrying.

_Hermione, please, I still don't know what I did to chase you off so badly, but if you still want me to live, if you still care for me at all, there is something you must do for me. You must read the eighth chapter of the book whose Latin title translates to "From Man to Wolf" in English. Please._

_For us,  
>Remus and Moony<em>

I had no clue what they were referring to as it hadn't come up in my research, but I quickly pocketed the letter and apparated to the Ministry's library, where I had special research privileges. It took me several hours to find the correct book, but once I read it as directed, I was glad I had taken the time to find it.

Chapter Eight: Unresponsive Mates was highly dismaying, particularly given the current situation between Remus and I. It outlined, then went into detail about, what happened to a werewolf when his or her mate did not respond favorably to the introduction to the wolf-self. There would be a slow decline over five months, at the end of which the human-self would disappear.

It all followed what Moony had written to me. There were two ways to solve this problem before it was too late. If I decided to accept my role as Remus' mate, all I had to do was willingly kiss him on the lips. If I didn't want to accept such a role, there was a complex spell that reversed the degeneration, but there would no longer be a chance to tame the wolf.

For two and a half weeks, I weighed my practically non-existent options before I realized what the letters had helped to finalize: I was in love, and not just with Remus but with Moony, too. They were like Yin and Yang, but both loved me in their own way. They complemented each other, and both were made for me, just as I was made for them. Plus, what better way would there be to prove that my discoveries work than to be the mate for Remus, the most well-known (good) werewolf in Britain, if not the world?

The only thing that would make this union less than perfect was my philosophy on love. But from what I've read about werewolf mates, we were made for each other. Our love couldn't fade.

I decided that I would agree to be his mate, but I couldn't just track him down and tell him. I had to plan this, with what little time I had left.

**A/N: I hope that's sufficient for now. I would like to thank all of my reviewers for the last chapter, particularly the anonymous reviewer "Anna", who inspired me to throw Harry and Ron back into the story, even if it was only for a few sentences. Thanks all. ~Dani**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Been a while again, hasn't it? Sorry to keep people waiting, but I'm really busy most of the time, what with school and April being ScriptFrenzy month…man, I haven't had time. Anyhow, here's the next chapter. ~Dani**

**A/N 2: Oops. I just realized that, at the end of chapter two, I wrote "mat" instead of "mate". I think I've corrected it now. ~Dani**

**Disclaimer: I own none of this. Nada. Nil. The world is that of the wonderful JKR, ideas may be accidentally borrowed, and the whole thing is based on "Only Exception" by Paramore.**

**Only Exception: A Remus/Hermione Story**

**Chapter Three**

"_I'd like to think that I've always had a tight grip on reality, but perhaps I've just been jaded in the extreme. I don't know, and, coming from me, that's really saying something. In any case, I'd rather be overly jaded than too naïve._

"_Regardless, I'm not going to let go of what's in front of me here. What we could have: an as-close-to-perfect-as-realistically-possible love. We may fight, get angry at each other, but we'll never fall out of love, we'll never separate permanently. I want that so badly, Remus. I'm ready to be yours—and Moony's—completely. I accept my role."_

Not too long ago

Finally, I was forced to give up my planning, as it was the day before Remus' final full moon. I had to act right then or Remus would be lost. So I owled him, only saying that I had found a solution. He was due to arrive at 6 o'clock that evening, so I had four hours to set up what little I had of my half-baked plan.

I cooked dinner, keeping in mind that Remus' keener senses couldn't handle spices very well, and laid out my best tableware (which wasn't particularly fancy, mind you. I do only live in a flat.). I placed a stasis charm on the meal and headed to my bedroom to change my clothes and fix what little make-up I usually wore.

I ended up wearing a simple, modestly-cut black dress that I had bought several years previous for the Ministry's Order of Merlin awards ceremony. It wasn't fancy, but it was the nicest article of clothing I owned.

I had literally just finished ponytailing my hopeless hair when I heard the sound of the door buzzer. I rushed out of my bedroom to the front door and let Remus in. I nearly passed out when I saw how pitiful he looked. He had damn near literally deteriorated. He looked worse than I had ever seen him, even at the height of the war. His hair was almost completely gray; his clothes were nearly falling off of his body not only because they were torn to bits, but also because he was bone-thin; and his face clearly showed signs of illness. His eyes were a mix of blue and amber, ringed by red, and his nose had obviously been running so much that there was nothing left to run. The poor, lovely man looked terribly pitiful, yet I could feel that I loved him regardless.

I reached up tentatively to stroke his cheek. He practically melted to the floor at the gentle, intimate contact. I smiled softly and cupped his cheek. He whimpered. I almost kissed him then and there, but I stopped myself. I owed it to him to explain the complete circumstances that had led to that particular point in time.

"I'm so sorry, Remus, Moony. Come to the kitchen. I've prepared dinner, but I think I'd best explain the whole situation first," I said mournfully.

He nodded, and I realized, much to my horror, that he couldn't speak at all. I pulled him all the more quickly to the table and sat us down.

I took a deep breath and plunged into my explanation. "One of my first memories is of my parents, shortly after they divorced—they were Muggles, as I'm sure you know. My father took me out to the front steps of the courthouse and started talking to me softly, saying things I didn't really understand. I found out later that he was saying good-bye to me. My mother got full custody of me, you see. I never saw him again after that day. I'm told that he died in a car accident about a year before I started at Hogwarts.

"That day was very windy, even for England, and about to rain. He stood up and started shouting words that Mother told me never to repeat. He was crying; he had a broken heart and I suppose he was trying to fix it—reassemble it. But he really broke it himself in the first place.

"My father was my mother's second husband. I don't know for sure what happened to the first one, but I do have a half-brother, Darryl Ngyuen, I think. He lives in Singapore. He's a Muggle as far as I know. But, anyhow, Mother swore that she'd never let herself forget what happened, but evidently she did. She remarried about a year later to my stepfather, David Granger. He's a good man, but I can't believe anything my mother says anymore. My real last name is Leon.

"After what happened with my parents, I promised myself that I'd never let romantic love get to me. As far as I was concerned, that variety of love didn't even exist.

"I've always lived like this, you know. Keeping a comfortable distance between me and anyone who entered my life. What happened between my parents was far too much for me, so I stayed away from boys and men particularly. Oh, yes, I never doubted, like some do, that I was as straight as a good ruler edge, so girls were never an issue, but they stayed away anyhow. Harry and Ron were a bit of a different situation because, from the moment I met them, they felt like brothers to me. I don't know for sure, but maybe I know somewhere, deep down in my soul, that love never lasts.

" And I've always thought that, as an entire species, we have to find other ways to go on alone or at least keep a straight face when things go awry, when love fades away or falls apart. It's just a philosophy I always adhered to, since that day. But I think it could change.

"I'd like to think that I've always had a tight grip on reality, but perhaps I've just been jaded in the extreme. I don't know, and, coming from me, that's really saying something. In any case, I'd rather be overly jaded than too naïve."

At that point I stood up and moved to stand in front of his chair.

"Regardless, I'm not going to let go of what's in front of me here. What we could have: an as-close-to-perfect-as-realistically-possible love. We may fight, get angry at each other, but we'll never fall out of love, we'll never separate permanently. I want that so badly, Remus. I'm ready to be yours—and Moony's—completely. I accept my role."

With those final words, I leaned in and kissed him soundly on the lips.

**A/N: Does that count as a cliffhanger? Oh well. I'd like to give a big thank you to everyone who's reviewed, favorite, or otherwise enjoyed this story so far. Hopefully the next chapter will be done and up sooner rather than later. ~Dani**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Damn. I guess this makes me a bad author, but I just haven't had time to update recently. I've had some major testing going on at school and other things have just been crazy as of late. I just can't apologize enough, I guess. Well, here goes nothing. ~Dani**

**Disclaimer: If you haven't figured it out yet, none of this is mine. For more details, see past chapters.**

**Only Exception: A Remus/Hermione Story**

**Chapter Four**

_Quick recap: With those final words, I leaned in and kissed him soundly on the lips._

"_I know the full moon is coming up, so you'll be leaving in the morning when you wake up. I'm a very disbelieving person, with an overactive imagination. What I'm trying to say is, please, leave me with some kind of proof this isn't a dream. I—"_

Still feeling uneasy for some reason, I pulled back before he could respond. I backed up a little and stood silently, worried, staring at my feet. I opened my mouth to express my concerns about the upcoming full moon, but all I could get out was, "I—", before something stopped me.

The something that stopped me so abruptly was a hand grabbing my chin, forcing it up. I was struck by the sight of just how young Remus looked compared to his appearance just minutes previous. I knew he was about twenty years older than me, but now he looked hardly a decade older. His hair was completely returned to its sandy-blonde coloration, not a single gray hair in sight. His face had almost completely healed, leaving no scars but one long jagged one that stretched from his left temple to the lower right side of his jaw. It was one that I didn't recall seeing the last time we'd met, so I could only assume he had gotten it during his degenerative period. He now looked like he was back to a healthy weight for the first time in who knows how long. The only thing that hadn't changed was his clothing, which was only logical, given that it was not at all a part of his body.

Once he noticed that I was done appraising him, he pulled me in for another kiss. I could feel him smiling against my mouth, even as I stiffened, realizing that I had no clue how to proceed. My planning hadn't reached that far. Understanding my thought process, he gently broke the kiss. Despite my lack of response, he was grinning. "Thank you, mate, Hermione, for saving us."

So Remus and Moony had successfully combined. I smiled shyly back. "I'm just sorry it took so long," I said apologetically.

They (he?) shrugged. "You came to the right conclusion in the end. That's all that matters, really." He (they?) paused momentarily, looking thoughtful. "Oh, and, knowing you, you're confused about how to refer to us. That is, do you call us a 'he' or a 'they'? Since we share one body and essentially one mind, we, that is, I, prefer to be called a 'he'. I am one entity, Remus John Lupin. I'm still the same person, just a bit…wilder and more open. Impulsive, you could say." Without further preamble, he leaned forward and captured my lips, much rougher than he had done previously.

I attempted to push back against him, but I was still very new at this. I yielded to the alpha in him, letting him teach me how to kiss properly. I nearly became unresponsive again when I felt his tongue attempt to gain entry to my mouth. However, I quickly remembered, through the haze, that the girls in my dorm talking about this kind of kissing. Tentatively, I opened my mouth and touched my tongue to his, trying to move it back to his mouth. Evidently that wasn't the right thing to do because he pushed it right back, asserting dominance by moving what would be a battle of tongues into my mouth. As my hands began to reach for a grasp on his hair, his hands gradually made their way down to my waist. I knew then what he wanted to do—and I realized I wanted it to happen too.

I eased out of the kiss and cupped my hands around his face, examining the man I intended to be bound to for the rest of my life. I stroked his face with the back of my hand a few times before initiating another kiss. As our tongues tangled clumsily with each other again, his hands moved further down to rest on my hips. I decided to reciprocate and gradually moved my hands down his chest to the hem of his tattered sweater. My hands played nervously with the hem for a short while until I worked my nerve up enough to slip my hands under his shirt. I felt his warm, slightly scarred abdomen under my fingers for a fraction of a second before he pulled away.

A look of concern was visible in his eyes. "Are you sure about this, Hermione?" he asked, although it felt like he was asking himself more than he was asking me. He may have been more impulsive, but he was still my same old worrying Remus. "This is a huge commitment. Once I have you, I will never let you go again, at least not of my own volition."

I nodded, confident that this was truly what I wanted. "Of course I'm sure, Remus, my love. When have I ever tried to do something I wasn't absolutely sure I wanted?" Silence reigned for a period, and I blushed when I fully comprehended what we were headed towards. "My only qualm is that I've never done this before," I confessed.

He looked vaguely surprised. "You're still a virgin? But you're so beautiful…how could no one ever approach you?"

I blushed again. "If you had been paying attention earlier, you would have realized this. Men have approached me in the past, but I never even considered them because of my personal vow, my philosophy. Besides, I'd been waiting for marriage on the off chance that I decided that it was worth the risk."

He looked a bit less shocked this time. "Are you sure you want to do this, then? That is to say, we aren't married, and that isn't to say that we won't be someday, hopefully soon, but we aren't now, and—"

I put my fingers over his lips to stop his babbling. "Shh, Remus, I've already told you—I'm sure. Was there anything else you needed to say?"

"I'm a virgin myself," he muttered, so quietly I almost didn't hear it.

Now it was my turn to be shocked. He was a 44-year-old male and he had never, not even once, in his life had sex. "How?"

"My human side was personally indifferent and afraid of harming someone, and my wolf wanted to wait for our mate, so it just never happened." He blushed.

I smiled softly. "It's okay, Remus. This just means it will be more special for both of us. And I know the full moon is coming up, so you'll be leaving in the morning when you wake up. I'm a very disbelieving person, with an overactive imagination. What I'm trying to say is, please, leave me with some kind of proof this isn't a dream."

That night, as we gave ourselves to each other in the fullest sense, he did exactly that in the traditional fashion of the werewolves.

**A/N: Is that a cliffhanger? I'm not sure myself, but I do wonder how many of you will misinterpret that last sentence. I won't blame you if you do. I wrote it to end a different way. In any case, it may be a while before you get the next, and probably last, chapter because I have even more tests coming my way and I'm starting some summer courses as well. I hope you've enjoyed it thus far. ~Dani**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Long time no see, again, is it? Sorry. This may end up being the last chapter because I'm not sure I want to write an epilogue. We'll just have to see. ~Dani**

**Disclaimer: Siriusly? Oops. That's not right…anyhow, I don't own any of this.**

**Only Exception: A Remus/Hermione Story**

**Chapter Five**

_Recap: I smiled softly. "It's okay, Remus. This just means it will be more special for both of us. And I know the full moon is coming up, so you'll be leaving in the morning when you wake up. I'm a very disbelieving person, with an overactive imagination. What I'm trying to say is, please, leave me with some kind of proof this isn't a dream."_

_That night, as we gave ourselves to each other in the fullest sense, he did exactly that in the traditional fashion of the werewolves._

Two weeks later:

Just as I had expected, when I had gotten up that next morning, Remus was nowhere to be found. What I did find was that there was an aching sensation on the back of my neck. At the time, I chalked it up to it being our first time. I practically returned to my normal life for about two weeks.

There was still a light aching sensation when I met up with Harry and Ron after those two weeks, but I had simply gotten used to it. We talked about several different things. Both Ginny and Lavender were expecting. This surprised me because I hadn't really known that either of my old best mates had gotten married. I congratulated them regardless. They also told me about how Draco Malfoy had shocked everyone by marrying Katie Bell, a former Gryffindor Chaser. After conversing for nearly an hour, I headed off to the loo, messing with my hair as I went.

When I came back to the table, Harry and Ron were looking at me strangely. Obviously something was up. "What? Do I have something on my face?" I asked, honestly confused.

"Well…It's just…We were wondering…" Ron stammered before Harry cut him off.

"We were just wondering when you got a tattoo, Hermione," Harry clarified.

Now I was really puzzled. "A tattoo? But I don't have a tattoo."

"Yes, you do," Harry said. "It's on the back of your neck. It's a circle with some tangled lines in it."

My eyebrows pulled together as I tried to work out what he was talking about. "Could you draw it for me?"

"Sure." He conjured a sheet of paper and a pencil and drew what turned out to be a circle with a Celtic knot in it.

"That's a Celtic knot inside that circle." I paused, thinking. Suddenly it hit me. "That's not a circle. That's a full moon. Remus— " I stopped. I hadn't told them anything about my new relationship with Remus.

"A full moon? Remus…Remus _Lupin_? What are you trying to say, Hermione?" Harry said sternly.

Now it was my turn to have difficulty speaking. "Well…You see, Harry, erm, I…" I stopped because I felt a strong hand resting on my shoulder.

"What she's trying to say, Harry, Ron," Remus said from behind me, "is that she and I are mates. This marking on the back of her neck is my mark. It indicates that we are bound forever."

Harry and Ron were shocked. "What?" They exclaimed in unison.

"When did this start, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"It really all began about six months ago." I told them almost the whole story, leaving out my exact reasons for avoiding Remus. Remus added in his side of the story until we'd told just about all there was. Harry and Ron's expressions said they wanted to ask questions, but Remus stopped them.

"Hold on, boys," he said. "The story isn't quite complete. I have a question for Hermione myself."

I wasn't sure what he was talking about until he knelt down on one knee and pulled out one of those black velvet ring boxes, just like in the movies. He opened it, revealing a beautiful gold band with a moonstone flanked by two blue gems, which I later found out were just quartz.

I laughed a little about the ironic moonstone, which seemed to worry Remus a little, but he went ahead with his proposal. "Hermione Jean Granger, you are my Wolfsbane Potion, strange as that sounds. I cannot imagine a better partner to get me through those hard times. But I want to be more than just mates. I want you by my side forever; I want you to bear my name; and most of all I want you to bear my children. We belong together not just as mates, but as husband and wife. Will you marry me?"

I nearly cried. He was so sweet. "Yes!" I said. He grabbed me out of my chair, said a quick apology to the boys, invited them to the wedding, and swept me out of the restaurant. I should have realized that we were getting married that day when Harry and Ron followed us out, but I wasn't thinking.

We were married hardly half an hour later in a quiet ceremony at Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, my parents, and Remus' parents were the only people there, aside from Minerva, who was presiding over the ceremony.

We spent our honeymoon in a nice cottage outside Hogsmeade. I found out afterwards that Remus' parents had bought us that house as a wedding gift. I think it may have also been a gift for taming their son, but we didn't care.

Nine months later, we were joined by a baby boy, Romulus.

I'd love to finish our tale with a "And they lived happily ever after", but that wasn't true. We faced a lot of difficulties trying to start up our mate-seeking program and getting our children through Hogwarts, but we were happy. Very much so.

I don't know. Perhaps we did live happily ever after. There isn't really a standard for that, is there? In any case, we've spent our lives together in relative happiness so far. And so we will, I'm sure. Forever.

**A/N: That was terrible ending. I may add a chapter with a list of pairs and their children, including Hogwarts houses, just for fun. Thanks so much, everyone, for sticking with me, if anyone did. Please review. Signing off, for now…~Dani**


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